Rudy Giuliani: Don't Rush to Judge Rupert Murdoch; Cops Seek Upper East Side Groper; Pet Store Praised for Ban on Drunk Buying

• Rudy Giuliani, longtime friend of Rupert Murdoch, says we shouldn't so easily judge Murdoch with regard to that little hacking scandal but should instead, "Give people the presumption of innocence," and not jump to conclusions. (Full disclosure: a law and lobbying firm in which Giuliani is partner apparently got $100,000 in lobbying fees from News Corp. in 2005.) "He's a very honorable, honest man," the former mayor said. [CNN, Politico]

• Cops are searching for a "serial groper" who's grabbed women in instances running from January to this week on the Upper East Side, usually inside the lobbies or stairwells of their apartment buildings. He's 4 foot 11, 120 pounds, and was last seen wearing "a black turtleneck zipped sweatshirt and jeans." Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. [NBC NY]

• Greg Scheuerman, a Long Island math teacher, won the $3 million jackpot after buying a $10 scratch-off ticket when his students passed their Regents exams. He won't be quitting his job. [NYP]

• A Brooklyn man allegedly beat his teenage stepdaughter to death on the front porch of their home in Canarsie, then flipped his car in Queens attempting to escape. She had reportedly accused him of sexual abuse. He was caught by the police. [NYDN]

• Two men were shot in Kew Gardens during a fight about a parking spot last night. One has died. Police are looking for suspects. [NY1]

• Le Petite Puppy, the Greenwich Village store that banned drunk puppy-buying, has "been bombarded by messages of support -- and opposition -- from around the country." [DNA Info]